Written In The Stars
by Aira
Summary: A R/Hm fic, my first attempt at romance. Please R/R


A Note From The Author: Well, this is my first attempt at writing romance. I don't know how good it really is, so please r/r. Also, note that flames are considered food for my amusement. Thanks and enjoy.  
  
Written In The Stars  
  
"I'm so worried about him."  
  
Hermione's voice startled me. I had been thinking about You-Know-Who's return and was so involved in my own musings and speculations about "what next" that I had somehow been in a world of my own. "You mean Harry?" I said vaguely, inwardly slapping myself. Yes, of course Harry. Who else would she be talking about?  
  
"Of course Harry. Who else would I be talking about?" Hermione echoed.  
  
"Yes, of course," I replied, trying not to blush.  
  
Through my embarrassment, though, there was another emotion. Maybe…envy? I quickly shoved that thought aside. The very idea was ridiculous. What reason had I to be jealous of Harry? After all, Hermione's concern for him was perfectly legitimate. I was also worried about him. But why said a nagging voice in the back of my mind. Why would you be jealous of Harry if Hermione's feelings went beyond concern?  
  
I quickly silenced the annoying demon, and snapped into my senses. It was just Hermione, after all. Just my friend. "I'm worried, too," I said honestly. "His letters are way too blasé. I have the feeling he's holding back a lot. He scarcely mentions You-Know-Who's return. Just writes cheeky letters asking about Quidditch and talking about what that cousin of his just did. You know, I think he's trying to forget last year ever happened."  
  
Hermione nodded. "I get the same impression. Not that I want him to drown in darkness or anything, but really, he's acting totally oblivious to the whole thing. I can't understand it."  
  
"Can't you?" I asked, my thoughts switching entirely to Harry now. "He went through a terrible ordeal and wants to forget it. Quite simple, really."  
  
Hermione still appeared apprehensive, however. "But-but, oh, Ron, I'm so worried about him! He doesn't talk about his feelings with ANYone. It's not healthy, keeping everything locked up inside like that. I mean, he didn't tell even US what went on the- the night of the third task. It frustrates me. I want to help him, to know what's bothering him, but he won't let me."  
  
I shrug through the darkness. "Hermione, Harry has lived through more terrible things than most people can dream about. His parents are dead, he's living with those relatives of his-and to top it all off, he's faced You-Know-Who in one form or another no less than four times. The truth is that neither of us really knows what he's been through. I know he trusts us as friends, but there are some things that even best friends can't penetrate."  
  
I took a deep breath after this little speech. The truth was that I had surprised even myself. I'm not usually dubbed as being understanding. Hermione, however, did not seem to notice.  
  
Through the candle's light that shone in my room-Hermione was spending the rest of the holiday with us-I saw her smile approvingly. "I wonder why I didn't think about that before," she mused.  
  
"Probably because you were too busy with your logical analysis," I suggested jokingly, trying to appear less hearty than I felt.  
  
To my surprise, Hermione didn't rebuke me. "I do get carried away with that sometimes," she admitted.   
  
"Nah," I said, shocking myself once more. "This world needs people who can sit back and work things out logically, step by step. We need people who can figure out how to make potions and how to transfigure this to that and how to do a certain charm. I don't think you get carried away at all."  
  
I saw my friend's mouth form an amused grin. "You flatter me. You really believe I don't sometimes get carried away?"  
  
"Well, sometimes," I confessed. "But you are really useful to have around. I mean, last year you really helped Harry with the tasks and you figured out about the basilisk in our second year, and about the Devil's Snare in our first year…not to mention you're like a walking encyclopedia."  
  
"Oh really?" Hermione's voice sounded, if possible, flattered and insulted at the same time. "Is that all I'm good for? Just somebody useful to have around if you need to know something?"  
  
I wince. Females! Who understands them, if anyone? I meant it as a compliment! "I'm sorry," I begin to respond, my instincts taking over my brain in terms of what to say. "Did it come out like that? I didn't mean for it to. I just meant that even though I complain to no end about your being too consumed by schoolwork, that it isn't always a bad thing. Really."  
  
To my immense relief, Hermione nodded understandingly. "It was silly of me to act so offended. Imagine! When you were trying to compliment me! It seems like I'm always making silly blunders like that." The last part was said with an edge of bitterness.  
  
"Really? I don't think so at all," I said in turn, though my tongue bit back the words. WHAT? What had made me say THAT?!  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked. From what I could see of her face, she mirrored my embarrassment.  
  
I didn't respond. Not right away. My mind was racing. How was it that I was acting so stiff and unnatural around her? That had never happened before. She was always just Hermione. Always just my smart, nice, way-too-responsible best friend. Tonight, however, she seemed different. Prettier for one thing. Her brown eyes had never seen so big, so beautiful, so full of life, as on that night.  
  
Again, I berated myself. WHAT was making me say these things? It was ridiculous. Eyes full of life? Beautiful? It was just Hermione! Just Hermione. Say something! My mind screamed. Had to say something! So I said the first thing that came to mind. Unfortunately, that happened to be: "So…how was it at Krum's?"  
  
Hermione's voice became strangely high-pitched at that. "Oh, yes, that. I didn't go."  
  
I prayed that the darkness would cover up my expression. I couldn't even trust myself to remain neutral. "Why?" I couldn't help but ask her. Why does it matter? I asked myself.  
  
"My parents didn't really approve," she said. "He was a nice guy, but…I didn't really want to spend my holiday in Bulgaria anyway."  
  
I couldn't help but notice that very little affection was in her words. This caused my heart to leap-NO! Of course it didn't! Why did I care whether she went to Bulgaria or not?  
  
"Do you notice anything…different tonight?" I asked suddenly, whilst hating myself.  
  
If it were possible to kick myself, I would have. I bit down on my tongue so hard that I almost let out a yelp. Of all the things I could have said to her, I chose THAT? What was wrong with me? Now it sounded like I liked her or something.  
  
Hermione's answer came as a bit of a surprise. "Yes," she replied. I was guessing that there was a thoughtful frown on her face. "Yes, there is something different. It's you, actually. I mean-"  
  
She ended abruptly, embarrassed. Well, that was okay. I was embarrassed too. But I was also a little relieved. She felt it, too! Whatever "it" was. "What do you mean?" I asked softly, giving in to whatever feeling I was feeling right now.  
  
Sensing my sudden change of heart, Hermione did the same, becoming more open. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's just so strange. I've known you for going on five years now and I feel like I'm just meeting you for the first time."  
  
Yes. Yes. I felt the same way. Exactly the same as she. Our watches were synchronized, at long last. But how to express that? "Me, too" was the best I could come up with.  
  
My lack of creativity didn't faze Hermione. She continued, trouble. "Ironic, isn't it? We've been best friends for four years and this is first time we've ever, really talked."  
  
It was, I realized. We had spent so much time arguing with each other, coming up with snappy retorts for each other, and figuring out how to protect Harry with each other that we had never had had a truly meaningful discussion. Except for now.  
  
"Hermione?" My voice sounded different even to me. "Are you…feeling the same thing I'm feeling?"  
  
I was very relieved I couldn't fully make out her expression. Glad she couldn't make out mine either. "Yes," she said thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I am."  
  
The confession seemed to change the atmosphere. No longer could I hear Percy's snores below us. At that moment, I was deaf and blind to everything but Hermione and the room. Even You-Know-Who weighed very lightly on my mind, for the first time since his return. "So," I whispered nervously.  
  
"So," Hermione echoed, just as nervously, though taking a few steps forward. Her face was only inches away from mine, and I could feel her breath.  
  
The tension was momentarily broken by our edgy giggles. "You know I have to tell you something-I have no idea what to do next."  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
"But what about-Krum?"  
  
"Oh, I mean…we never…" Hermione trailed off.  
  
"So this is a first for both of us."  
  
"Right."  
  
"So we both don't know what to do and are unbelievably nervous."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Not any more."  
  
My nerve surprised even me. I could hardly believe myself as I placed my lips against hers, and softly kissed them, my mind reeling with horrible possibilities the whole time.  
  
None of them happened. She kissed me back. I even found the guts to wrap my arms around her and began to kiss with more passion. Gutsy though it was, I could hardly believe what was happening. My brain had completely frozen, more completely even than on Snape's test. Finally, I allowed myself to be fully engrossed in the moment, pushing aside everything else.  
  
And it was wonderful. That's a cliché, I know, I'm sorry. But there's no other way to put it. The sensation worked itself around my entire, glowing body.  
  
After a minute of pure heaven, we pulled away. Neither of us said anything at first. I was trying to cherish the moment, to engrave it permanently into my memory.  
  
Hermione only glanced out the window, into a sky full of stars. I followed her gaze. And I swear that they formed the word 'love.'  



End file.
